Herb crusted leg of lamb

Herb crusted leg of lamb

About this recipe:Some family traditions are always worth maintaining - like everyone round the table for Sunday lunch. And as far as traditional Sunday lunches go, leg of lamb is right up there. This herb crusting will add extra flavour and succulence, and if it goes down well here, the good news is that it's just as tasty on other meats.

First, make sure your lamb has rested at room temperature for an hour before doing any further prepping. It's also important to know what weight it is (we'll come to that later).

While the lamb is resting, preheat your oven to 190 C / Gas 5. Mix the Dairygold with everything else to form a paste.

Once the lamb has had an hour's rest, prick it all over with a sharp knife. Rub half of the Dairygold herb paste in an even layer across the top of the lamb. Place in a roasting dish.

Roast in your pre-heated oven, initially for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the roasting dish temporarily, spread the remaining half of the Dairygold herb paste over the lamb and return to the oven (rotate the dish before it goes back in).

From here on in, you simply cook to your liking. Standard roast lamb (i.e. cooked to medium) takes about 30 minutes per 450g (1 lb), so consider the initial hour it's already had as 900g (2 lb) and work out the remaining time depending on its weight and how you like it done (if you prefer it rare, simply leave it in for 30 minutes less than you would for the standard cooking time).

Once cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and then the roasting tray. Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Tip

While it's resting, you can add an extra touch of flavour to the table by using the juices left in the roasting dish to make a tasty gravy. Pour them into a small saucepan, add a tablespoon of flour and stir it in over a low heat. Once combined, add 400ml of stock and stir until smooth and thickened.